Sheriff wants to remove officers from city schools

Published: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 9:56 a.m.

SARASOTA - In the school parking lot, the marked police car stands out by the buses and teachers' cars, a visible deterrent against crime.

Inside the building, the armed student resource officers play detective, look for drugs or get tips from students about problems in their neighborhoods.

That is why Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Lori White calls them one of the best ways to keep schools safe.

But the question becomes, who should pay them?

Sarasota County Sheriff Thomas Knight has told school officials he plans to remove the officers from middle and high schools within city limits in hopes the local city police departments will take over.

The change would occur on July 1.

“Be assured that this decision has been discussed with the city managers and police chiefs. They recognize the value of this shift and readily assume the responsibility,” Knight wrote last week in a letter addressed to White.

Sheriff's Maj. Kevin Kenney, like his boss, stressed the tactical practicality of local control, especially during an emergency.

“During critical incidents, command and control issues are significant,” Kenney said, adding that plans to withdraw the school resource officers have been considered for more than a year.

The move would primarily affect the five officers who cover Booker and Sarasota high schools and Brookside Middle School, all within Sarasota city limits, White said.

Between salary, benefits and other costs, the five positions cost roughly $500,000 per year — expenses that had been split between the school district and the Sheriff's Office, the superintendent said.

Venice High School has only one officer who would be affected because the city department already pays for one position while the school district and the Sheriff's Office share the cost of the other.

Already, Venice Police Chief Tom McNulty said Tuesday he plans to assign an additional officer to Venice High to replace the one missing next school year from the Sheriff's Office.

“Adding an additional officer to the high school will be a budget concern, but I'm sure the city council and city manager recognize that for the safety of the kids, the best thing would be another SRO,” he said.

For school officials, the news comes as they prepare their 2013-14 budget. They have said they view safety as a top priority, but they also know the reality of a tough financial year ahead.

Last week, White proposed budget cuts that included closing Phoenix Academy to keep the district from draining its savings account to balance the general fund.

In Sarasota County Schools, two officers are at every high school and one is at every middle school.

There are not regular staffed officers at elementary schools, although officials beefed-up coverage following the Newtown, Conn., shootings.

White said the district is meeting with Venice and Sarasota police departments to plan for next school year.

“Safety is paramount,” White said. “We have to work through it step-by-step to see what the possibilities are.”

<p><em>SARASOTA</em> - In the school parking lot, the marked police car stands out by the buses and teachers' cars, a visible deterrent against crime.</p><p>Inside the building, the armed student resource officers play detective, look for drugs or get tips from students about problems in their neighborhoods.</p><p>That is why Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Lori White calls them one of the best ways to keep schools safe.</p><p>But the question becomes, who should pay them?</p><p>Sarasota County Sheriff Thomas Knight has told school officials he plans to remove the officers from middle and high schools within city limits in hopes the local city police departments will take over.</p><p>The change would occur on July 1.</p><p>“Be assured that this decision has been discussed with the city managers and police chiefs. They recognize the value of this shift and readily assume the responsibility,” Knight wrote last week in a letter addressed to White.</p><p>Sheriff's Maj. Kevin Kenney, like his boss, stressed the tactical practicality of local control, especially during an emergency.</p><p>“During critical incidents, command and control issues are significant,” Kenney said, adding that plans to withdraw the school resource officers have been considered for more than a year. </p><p>The move would primarily affect the five officers who cover Booker and Sarasota high schools and Brookside Middle School, all within Sarasota city limits, White said.</p><p>Between salary, benefits and other costs, the five positions cost roughly $500,000 per year — expenses that had been split between the school district and the Sheriff's Office, the superintendent said.</p><p>Venice High School has only one officer who would be affected because the city department already pays for one position while the school district and the Sheriff's Office share the cost of the other.</p><p>Already, Venice Police Chief Tom McNulty said Tuesday he plans to assign an additional officer to Venice High to replace the one missing next school year from the Sheriff's Office.</p><p>“Adding an additional officer to the high school will be a budget concern, but I'm sure the city council and city manager recognize that for the safety of the kids, the best thing would be another SRO,” he said. </p><p>For school officials, the news comes as they prepare their 2013-14 budget. They have said they view safety as a top priority, but they also know the reality of a tough financial year ahead.</p><p>Last week, White proposed budget cuts that included closing Phoenix Academy to keep the district from draining its savings account to balance the general fund.</p><p>In Sarasota County Schools, two officers are at every high school and one is at every middle school. </p><p>There are not regular staffed officers at elementary schools, although officials beefed-up coverage following the Newtown, Conn., shootings.</p><p>White said the district is meeting with Venice and Sarasota police departments to plan for next school year.</p><p>“Safety is paramount,” White said. “We have to work through it step-by-step to see what the possibilities are.”</p>